This past week has been crazy. It is crunch time at my day job since filing deadlines are approaching, so there hasn't been much time for anything outside of work, eating, and sleeping! Thursday was "National Drink Wine Day" though, so of course I had to join in on the festivities.

In order to help with my blind wine identification skills, K has graciously offered to be the one to select the wines over the coming months. I know what bottles are in our stash, so it's not completely blind, but it's definitely a good stepping stone! I came home to find two glasses poured, waiting for me to try them out!

Wine #1

The first wine is the glass on the left in the picture above. It's a little tough to tell, but that glass is significantly lighter in color than the glass on the right. It's color was more of a ruby red, light garnet color. I instantly thought "Pinot Noir" when seeing this. The nose had hints of red berry, cherry, and something earthy. The red berry came across in the flavor of the wine too. It was definitely a more "feminine" pinot noir but I enjoyed it. It had a good, light flavor.

Result: La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2013. We got this from a wine dinner at a French bistro in town and I can't remember the price we got it for, but La Crema's website indicates that it is $24. I knew we had a Sonoma CA Pinot and a Willamette Valley Pinot, and I unfortunately guessed wrongly. Remember, cooler climates produce wines that are tarter and tend to be more subtle in flavor, while warmer climates produce wines that taste more ripe and have bolder flavors. Therefore, I should have guess Oregon versus California given the lightness of the wine.

Rating:

Wine #2

This wine was definitely darker than the first. It was a medium red color and I call it "semi-translucent" where when the glass was tilted on its side to look at the color, I could not see through the center but could see through the outer ring. This wine was easy to drink with flavors of darker berries... blueberry and blackberry. I would say there wasn't a lot of "oomph" to it as there was very little tannin or spice. I thought it did pair pretty well with the pizza we were having and it got better or developed more flavor over time.

Result: Ruby Sky Red Blend, 2012. We got this for $9.99 from Fresh Market, a local gourmet grocery store, as a recommendation from a friend. This wine is from Washington State, and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Temperanillo. Based on these grape varietals, I am surprised it didn't have more of a full-bodied and spicier flavor to it, but maybe I didn't let it open up enough. I will definitely give it more time with the next glass!